Safety platform scaffold apparatus

ABSTRACT

A portable safety platform scaffold apparatus includes a plurality of wall-supportable units for being supported by the top portion of a wall. The wall support units each include a wall-top engagement portion, a common removable floor member, and a common removable fence. With the apparatus, a worker can stand on the floor members with the wall-top engagement portions secured on the top of the wall. In this way, the worker is in a safe location when a roof truss is lowered onto the wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to scaffolds, and, more particularly, to scaffold especially adapted for a person who perform framing operations on a roof truss.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is well known in the building construction art that framers, who install roof trusses on the tops of vertical walls, are subject to potential falls and other injuries because they cannot readily tie themselves to the top of a wall upon which a roof truss is installed. In this respect, it would be desirable if a safety platform scaffold apparatus could be provided that keeps those installing roof trusses safe in a number of ways that are not known in the prior art.

Still other features would be desirable in a safety platform scaffold apparatus. For example, it would be readily assembled and disassembled at a work site. Also, it would be relatively light and easy to lift and lower, with respect to the top of a wall.

In review, current methods do not teach or suggest a safety platform scaffold apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides a safety platform scaffold apparatus that keeps those installing roof trusses safe in a number of ways that are not known in the prior art; (2) provides a safety platform scaffold apparatus that can be readily assembled and disassembled at a work site; and (3) provides a safety platform scaffold apparatus that is relatively light and easy to lift and lower, with respect to the top of a wall. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique safety platform scaffold apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a safety platform scaffold apparatus for being supported by a wall which has a wall top. The apparatus includes a plurality of wall-supportable units for being supported by the wall. A plurality of floor members are supported by the wall-supportable units, and a fence unit is connected to the plurality of wall-supportable units.

With the apparatus, a worker can stand on the floor members with the wall-top engagement portions secured on the top of the wall. In this way, the worker is in a safe location when a roof truss is lowered onto the wall.

Preferably, each of the wall-supportable units includes a wall-contacting riser portion. A wall-top engagement portion is connected to the wall-contacting riser portion. A floor support portion is connected to the wall-contacting riser portion.

Preferably, each of the wall-top engagement portions includes a top wall-contacting support portion which is connected to the wall-contacting riser portion, and a downwardly extending stop portion is connected to the top wall-contacting support portion.

Also, preferably, each of the wall-supportable units further includes a reinforcement strut which is connected between a bottom portion of the wall-contacting riser portion and a bottom portion of the floor support portion.

Preferably, the fence unit includes a fence riser portion supported by the floor support portion. A fence-riser-to-fence-bottom connector is connected to the fence riser portion. A fence bottom portion is received in the fence-riser-to-fence-bottom connector. A fence-riser-to-fence-top connector is connected to the fence riser portion, and a fence top portion is received in the fence-riser-to-fence-top connector.

The fence riser portion can further include a middle connector between the fence-riser-to-fence-top connector and the fence-riser-to-fence-bottom connector.

The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety platform scaffold apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety platform scaffold apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety platform scaffold apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such safety platform scaffold apparatus available to the buying public.

Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety platform scaffold apparatus that keeps those installing roof trusses safe in a number of ways.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety platform scaffold apparatus that can be readily assembled and disassembled at a work site.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety platform scaffold apparatus that is relatively light and easy to lift and lower, with respect to the top of a wall.

These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and the above objects as well as objects other than those set forth above will become more apparent after a study of the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the safety platform scaffold apparatus of the invention installed on the top of a wall that has received a roof truss.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the embodiment of the safety platform scaffold apparatus shown in FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged front view of the embodiment of the safety platform scaffold apparatus of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 thereof.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, taken along line 4-4 thereof.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the circled region 5 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the portion of the invention shown in line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the circled region 7 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the portion of the invention shown by line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, a new and improved safety platform scaffold apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention will be described.

Turning to FIGS. 1-8, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the safety platform scaffold apparatus of the invention generally designated by reference numeral 10. In each of the figures, reference numerals are shown that correspond to like reference numerals that designate like elements shown in other figures.

In the preferred embodiment, safety platform scaffold apparatus 10 is provided for being supported by a wall 13 which has a wall top 11. The apparatus includes a plurality of wall-supportable units 12 for being supported by the wall 13. A plurality of elongated floor members 24 is supported by the wall-supportable units 12, and an elongated fence unit 16 is connected to the plurality of wall-supportable units 12.

Preferably, each of the wall-supportable units 12 includes a wall-contacting riser portion 20. A wall-top engagement portion 22 is connected to the wall-contacting riser portion 20. A floor support portion 14 is connected to the wall-contacting riser portion 20. In accordance with the invention, the wall-top engagement portions 22 are used to removably hang the wall-supportable units 12 from the top 11 of the wall 13. The floor members 24 are supported by the floor support portions 14, substantially as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Floor members 24 preferably are in the form of conventional removable wooden boards used in construction, such as 2 by 4's, for example, laid side-by-side and of suitable longitudinal extent or length. Alternatively, the floor members 24 can be in the form a one-piece removable platform (not shown), fabricated of a suitable material such as plywood or aluminum, for example.

With reference to FIG. 1, and in accordance with the invention, a worker (not shown) can stand on the floor members 24 with the wall-top engagement portions 22 secured on the top 11 of the wall 13. In this way, the worker is in a safe location when the roof truss 15 is lowered onto the wall 13. The elongated fence unit 16 prevents the worker from falling backward off the floor members 24. As will be explained in more detail below, the elongated fence unit 16 includes removable fence members 26, 30.

Preferably, each of the wall-top engagement portions 22 includes a top wall-contacting support portion 38 which is laterally connected to the wall-contacting riser portion 20, and a downwardly extending stop portion 40 is connected to the distal extremity of the top wall-contacting support portion 38, substantially as depicted (FIGS. 2 and 5). Preferably, the top wall-contacting support portion 38 is connected to the wall-contacting riser portion 20 at a right angle, and the downwardly extending stop portion 40 is connected to the distal extremity of the top wall-contacting support portion 38 at a right angle.

Also, preferably, each of the wall-supportable units 12 further includes a reinforcement strut 18 which is diagonally connected between a bottom portion of the wall-contacting riser portion 20 and a bottom portion of the floor support portion 14, substantially as depicted (FIGS. 1 and 2).

Preferably, the fence unit 16 includes a fence riser portion 28 connected to and supported by the transversely extending floor support portion 14. A fence-riser-to-fence-bottom connector 32 is connected to the fence riser portion 28. A fence bottom portion 26 is received in the fence-riser-to-fence-bottom connector 32. A fence-riser-to-fence-top connector 34 is connected to the fence riser portion 28, and a fence top portion 30 is received in the fence-riser-to-fence-top connector 34. The fence riser portion 28 preferably further includes middle connector 36 located between the fence-riser-to-fence-top connector 34 and the fence-riser-to-fence-bottom connector 32. A corresponding middle fence portion (not shown to avoid obfuscating the drawings) may be received in middle connector 36 in similar fashion.

Preferably, the fence portions 26 and 30 (and middle portion, not shown) also can be in the form of conventional removable wooden boards of suitable length used in construction, such as 2 by 4's, for example, or the like.

The fence-riser-to-fence-bottom connector 32, the middle connector 36, and the fence-riser-to-fence-top connector 34 can be in the form of upwardly-facing right-angle brackets or hooks adapted to receive the respective fence top, middle, and bottom portions, respectively (FIGS. 1 and 3). As depicted in FIG. 7, each of the connectors 32, 34 and 36 preferably is in the form of a right-angle bracket supported by a bottom gusset plate.

An important feature of the invention is that the components of the safety platform scaffold apparatus disclosed herein can be made from inexpensive and durable metal, wood, and plastic materials. Thus, preferably, the wall-supportable units 12 can be of one-piece or unitary construction fabricated of light-weight, yet strong material such as aluminum, for example. Most particularly preferred is a construction consisting of 2 in. by 2 in. extruded aluminum channel members welded or otherwise fastened together where the wall thickness of each channel member is about ⅛ in. Connectors 32, 34 and 36 can be welded in place or fastened by suitable screw fasteners or the like, in which case, the connectors can easily be separated so that the components are easily disassembled for storage and transport away from the work site.

In using the invention in the field, all which is necessary is to hang a suitable plurality of wall-supportable units 12 on the top of a wall, for example, where roof trusses are being installed. In this position, each of the wall-top portions 22 and their corresponding top wall-contacting support portions 38 are in suitable supporting engagement relationship with the top portion of the wall (FIG. 1). The units 12 are spaced laterally from each other substantially as depicted in FIG. 1, and the plurality of elongated floor members 24 then is placed on the floor support portions 14. Next, the fence unit 16 is completed by placing the fence portions 26 and 30 into their corresponding connectors 32 and 34. If a middle fence portion is employed, it then also is similarly installed in its respective middle connector 36.

As to further details of the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same is apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly, no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation need be provided.

It is apparent from the above that the present invention accomplishes all of the objects set forth by providing a new and improved safety platform scaffold apparatus that is low in cost, relatively simple in design and operation, and which may advantageously be used to provide a portable safety platform scaffold apparatus that keeps those persons installing roof trusses safe in a number of ways that are not known in the prior art. With the invention, a safety platform scaffold apparatus is provided that can be readily assembled and disassembled at a work site. With the invention, a safety platform scaffold apparatus is relatively light and easy to lift and lower, with respect to the top of a wall.

Thus, while the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications thereof may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use.

Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be determined only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all such modifications as well as all relationships equivalent to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification.

Finally, it will be appreciated that the purpose of the annexed Abstract is to enable the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Accordingly, the Abstract is neither intended to define the invention or the application, which only is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

application. Accordingly, the Abstract is neither intended to define the invention or the application, which only is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A hanging scaffolding support comprising: a vertical support having a top end and a bottom end, a horizontal support extending horizontally from said vertical support medially of said vertical support, said horizontal support terminating in a horizontal distal extremity, a vertical fence riser extending upwardly from the horizontal distal extremity of said horizontal support toward said vertical support top end, substantially the entire transverse extent of said horizontal support between said vertical support and said vertical fence riser defining a supporting surface for a work platform, said top end of said vertical support being characterized by a distally terminating wall-top engagement laterally extending portion, and a downwardly extending stop portion connected substantially at a right-angle to the distal extremity of said wall-top engagement laterally extending portion, and wherein at least said top end of said vertical support including said distally terminating wall-top engagement laterally extending portion and said downwardly extending stop portion connected substantially at a right-angle to the distal extremity of said wall-top engagement laterally extending portion are of unitary construction.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said vertical support, said horizontal support, said vertical fence riser, said wall-top engagement laterally extending portion, and said downwardly extending stop portion are of unitary construction.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said vertical support, said horizontal support, said vertical fence riser, said wall-top engagement laterally extending portion, and said downwardly extending stop portion are fabricated of channel members having substantially the same cross-sectional configuration.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said channel members having substantially the same cross-sectional configuration are fabricated from extruded aluminum.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the extruded aluminum channel members have a substantially square-shaped cross-sectional configuration having dimensions of about 2 inches by 2 inches and a wall-thickness of about ⅛ inch. 